Builder by default.

Every company I've started began the same way: I saw something that could be better and couldn't leave it alone.

The ventures

Pizza Dude — There was no good pizza at DePauw. So we made it. My first real company, co-founded in college with my friend Adam Folta. We hired, trained, and managed 10+ employees while running the entire operation ourselves. This is where I caught the bug.

Film Gear South Africa — Africa had no reliable way to buy professional film equipment online. We built the continent's first and largest e-commerce store for it. 10,000+ products, $1M+ in sales, one full-time employee. We built a proprietary pricing model that updated hourly based on currency rates, shipping, duties, and tax. Secured partnerships with DJI, Zeiss, Sennheiser, and MoVi. 300% growth during COVID.

Kelvin Corner — Cape Town's film community needed a hub. We built a co-working space with editing suites, board rooms, a cafe, and gear storage. The space became the base for Film Gear and StreamVT. The relationships I built there are still paying dividends.

StreamVT (exited) — Remote production streaming didn't exist at the quality the industry needed. We built a bonded cellular platform that delivered sub-second HD from any set to any screen, anywhere. COVID turned it from "nice to have" to "mission critical." We developed a franchise model, deployed units worldwide, and collaborated with producers' associations globally. Sold the IP and hardware to a private buyer.

ShowCal — Entertainment crews had no good way to manage schedules, bookings, and rates. I built it for myself first as a personal agent. Now production teams worldwide use it. Actively developing new features while balancing consulting work.

The pattern

The pattern is always the same: find the thing that's broken, build something better, and share it. That's not a business strategy. It's just how I'm wired.